Aryan Art: The Fascist Ideal In Germany

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Degenerate art demonstrates the Fascist ideals in Germany from 1870 to 1940 and poses the question of the difference, created by the Nazi’s, between degenerate and accepted art. Degenerate art was a term used by the Nazi Party to describe contemporary artwork that did not agree with their National Socialist ideals. Modern paintings and sculptures that were identified and described as Jewish, Bolshevik, abstract, or un-German were labelled as degenerate. In 1937, Hitler’s creation of the two art exhibits: The Great German Art Exhibition and Degenerate Art Exhibition clearly distinguish the difference between the accepted and degenerate art. Hitler, being an aspiring artist who applied to the Academy of Fine Arts (but was rejected), only appreciated …show more content…

Visual symbolism was an important aspect to the Nazi’s campaign; therefore, they dedicated both men and resources in promoting their ideals through artwork. This was because Hitler saw that culture, including art, is an important quality long-lasting societies had in the past. Hitler’s understanding led him to realize that art has to play an important role in the building of his ideal German nation. He articulated the goals of what he considered true German art: it must develop from the collective soul of the people and express its identity; it must be national; it must be comprehensible; it strive to be eternal; it must be positive, not critical of society; it must be elevating, and represent the good, the beautiful, and the healthy. Hitler expected the approved art to be used as an ethical guide for his society, as well as to arouse feelings of both pride and patriotism within his …show more content…

Even though these attacks on modern art were not new to Germany, under Hitler they became more organized and constant. This is seen in one of Hitler’s priorities which was to organize and centralize institutions which would be necessary to carry out Nazi art policies. In September 1933, the “Reichskulturkammer” (Reich Culture Chamber) was established, with Joseph Goebbels in charge. With this creation of the Reich Chamber of Culture came controversy. During the period 1933-1934, confusion within the Party arose when the definition of Expressionism was being decided. This confusion became controversy and resulted in two opposing sides, one lead by Goebbels and the other by Rosenberg. Goebbels argued, “We National Socialists are not unmodern; we are the carrier of a new modernity, not only in politics and in social matters, but also in art and intellectual matters.” Here Goebbels states that the Nazi’s should change the definition of modernity, instead of eliminate the entire idea. Rosenberg argued in only despising the Expressionists and to get rid of them and their artwork all together. In September 1934, this ideological dispute was settled when Hitler declared that there could be no modernist experimentation within the Reich. Once this dispute was settled, the Reich Culture Chamber and Hitler began to separate the

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